Riot Games launched Valorant almost a year ago, and it’s already one of the most popular esports titles out there. In addition to a growing roster of maps and Agents, Riot may soon introduce a whole new mechanic to the free-to-play tactical hero shooter.
Data miners have been busy studying Valorant’s recent 2.08 update. One of them seems to have stumbled across code pointing to the introduction of a “Downed” mechanic.
Valorant YouTuber and influencer RumbleMike, who goes by @ValorLeaks on Twitter, posted the discovery on Tuesday. The leak reveals technical information on how the game will handle downed characters. Details include a 15 second down timer, a revival range of two meters, and a revival time of two seconds. Downed Agents will have 100 hit points and revive with 50. Additionally, the code contains commands for “Reviving” and “Revived” messages to appear on the screen.
Riot Games, which also develops League of Legends, has not announced the introduction a new game mechanic to Valorant. Neither has it responded to RumbleMike’s discovery. It’s entirely possible he simply found old code from a canceled mechanic. It’s common for game developers to leave in unused data left over from scrapped plans.
However, it’s also very possible that Valorant will get a new mechanic soon. If that is the case, the big question is whether the new mechanic would come with a new game mode. Some commenters suggested Riot may plan to introduce a battle royale mode. That would hardly be an irrational decision, given the current popularity of games like Fortnite, PUBG, and COD: Warzone. However, others questioned whether such a mode would work with Valorant’s style of gameplay. Riot Games would also need to create a map large enough to support the 100 or so players in a typical battle royale game. That would be a significant investment of time and money. So, while possible, doing so might not be likely given the studio’s current priorities.
Another alternative is that Riot could add the downed mechanic to Valorant’s primary gameplay loop. However, that would be a big shakeup to the gameplay. Other possibilities include adding it to the Spike Rush mode or building an entirely new game mode around the mechanic. Others suggested that Valorant may soon get a new agent. A revival power could be unique to this potential new character.
Of course, this is mostly speculation. Riot Games clearly isn’t ready to reveal any more information. Until they are, all fans can do is guess what might be in store for future updates to the popular five vs. five shooter.
Valorant is free-to-play on PC.